UPDATE - Independent Palestine only way to pay debt to slain Palestinian children: Turkish President Erdogan

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Gizem Nisa Cebi, Zehra Nur Duz and Dilara Hamit

ISTANBUL/ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday once again reiterated his call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, saying it is the only way to pay debt to slain Palestinian children.

"We all owe a debt to the murdered Palestinian children, and this debt can only be paid through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," President Erdogan told ambassadors in Ankara during an iftar, or the evening meal to breakfast in the holy month of Ramadan.

"They cannot stop us from referring to the murderer as a murderer. Instead of attempting to conceal the truth of the genocide, Israeli leaders must answer for the babies who died in Gaza," he added.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion, which killed 1,200 people and took around 250 as hostages.

The military onslaught has led to mass destruction, displacement and shortages of necessities in the besieged territory, with children also dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Erdogan said in Ramadan Türkiye will continue to increase aid to the Gaza Strip through official institutions, municipalities, foundations and associations.

He urged for accountability, questioning why most of the hospitals in Gaza were rendered non-operational. He also expressed concern over the deaths of nearly 400 health workers, and attacks on places of worship and educational institutions in the Palestinian territory.

Erdogan said the ICJ's provisional measures were not deterring Israel, and emphasized the urgent need for accountability and justice.

"Israel, ignoring everyone, shamelessly continues its war crimes and has become audacious enough to even threaten countries calling for an immediate cease-fire," he added.

He said Israel was pampered for decades and left unpunished for its massacres, land seizures and thefts, the price of which is being paid by the Palestinians.

"The cost of losing trust in international institutions will manifest in more terrorism and instability in the coming years for all of us. Sadly, it is the ambivalent policies of those providing unconditional military and diplomatic support to Israel that embolden [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu and his accomplices," the Turkish president said.

- Ukraine peace efforts

President Erdogan also highlighted Türkiye's efforts to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine, locked in the current conflict for over two years.

He emphasized Türkiye's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, cautioning that peace plans excluding Russia would not yield results.

He mentioned ongoing dialogue with both countries in the Black Sea, and recent meetings with the leaders.

"We believe that any steps that will escalate conflicts in the region and cause them to spread to NATO must be avoided," Erdogan said, reiterating Türkiye's commitment to peace efforts.

Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has time and again called on Kyiv and Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations.

Turkish peace efforts were fruitful with some significant results, such as the landmark grain deal in July 2022, and the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow did not extend the deal after July 2023 citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.

Last week Erdogan hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, and plans for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin are in the works.